Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1887-10-29
A MIN e.
An Interesting story Told I'm New
York by a Californian.

An I'M efeSthmR StOry AOtu Nc"
York by q Californian.
Talking about sailing experiences,
remarked a veteran member OF the Cali
fornia colony to a number of fellow as
sociates who were killing the dog days
in a New York office the other day,
81 had a funny one. 1t makes me
laugh when I think of it now. In the
good old Comstock days, l was in Vir.
ginia, New, employed in an official ca.
pacity in one of the big mines. Which
was it? Well, never mind, it wasn't a
long ways from where the big bonanza
was afterward found. Like everybody
else employed in the C~omstock, l gam
bled in shares. l held stock in $,
and they had gone back on me seriously.
l thought if l could get even l would
sell out and swear of. The Superin-
tendent and l were on friendly terms,
and if there had been a point, l know
he would give it to me. But, outside OF
sinking a WINE from the 200 to the
1900, about completed, which was on
low-grade ore, there was nothing to hang
q point or. Just about this time a very
lucky operator, who thought he knew a
mine when he saw it, came up to Nir.
GINA to see what was new in the mines.
He dropped into an office and had a chat
with the boss. After that he expressed
a desire to see the new Wine. By the
way, he was a trustee and had the entree
of the mine. The foreman happened to
be away, and the Superintendent had
business up town, so | was delegated to
show the big operator the Wine. "A
thought struck me. If this big operator
was favorably impressed, he could make
a deal of the stock. A hatful OF ore
had frequently caused spurts in the lead
ing Comstocks, as you know, and this
very operator had a big following. My
mind was made up. l must get even on
those shares, or there wouldn't be any
meat in the house. The operator had
about a dozen small canvas sacks to hold
samples, which he carefully took all the
way down the Wine, remarking as he
did SO that the ore was kindly looking.
1t was hot work, as you can imagine,
and when we landed on top the big man
was all in a glow of perspiration.
Here, said he, handing me the samples,
take care of these for me while l take
BATH In the office were any quantity
of fine specimens of sulphurets and other
kinds of ores taken from spots in tbs
mine. 1t didn't take me long to salt
the samples, and away went the bis
operator to have them assayed for curl
osity.' Then l watched the market, and
sure enough the stock felt a certain up
ward pressure, and soon after it was
rumored around that my big operator
was buying; that helped the upwart
movement. For once 1 didn't change
my mind-I gave my brokers orders t.
sell when she touched cost price plui
assessment. Within ten days from th'
sampling process l was out. What die
the stock do then? That's where tht
fun comes in. 1t kept going up, and in
side of two weeks was selling for double
what l sold mine at, and when the dea
eliminated the big operator was 500,
900 ahead. So that salt didn't hur'
him any, and didn't hurt me. He after
ward turned that 500, 900 into mors
than 81, 600, 900 by other fortunate specu
~lations, and is alive and we'll and al
happy as a man of his disposition car
be. Did he aver suspect the 'salt?' No
don't believe he did. He believed in hi
assays and thought probably that tht
insiders were trying to keep him in thu
dark. He comes to New York occasion
ally and we have a drink together. o
course he has forgotten that little cpl
sode, and naturally I don't remind hin
of it. That was my first and last salt
experience, and it was done just on tn,
spur of the moment, and because-well
nobody liked that operator, anyhow, ant
almost any one on the Comstock would
have liked to put up such a job on him
And to think that he made big none,
on it! Tell you, gentlemen, honesty il
the best policy. Will you smile?
They all smiled.